The day's biggest NHL news: trades, signings, injuries, suspensions and officiating, from the league's top reporters.
Pittsburgh Penguins winger Bryan Rust will miss at least six weeks with a lower-body injury, coach Dan Muse said, after Rust crashed into the boards during Monday’s game against Utah. Rust had five points in seven games; the team placed him on injured reserve and plans to use Tommy Novak on the top line with Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell.
San Jose Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said center Alex Wennberg is week-to-week with an upper-body injury and will miss the team’s remaining two games of its road trip. The 32-year-old, who has three assists in nine games this season, will be re-evaluated when San Jose returns home.
The Minnesota Wild said it is investigating after an offensive slur was heard on a hot mic during Tuesday night’s broadcast of its game against the Edmonton Oilers. The excerpt does not identify who said it or provide further details.
The Sportsnet video features Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff saying he is “very comfortable” with the return in a deal involving goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. The supplied text does not include details of the trade or what the Jets received.
The story appears to be a Lou Korac article about Justin Barron joining the St. Louis Blues and seeking a “clean slate,” but the provided text contains no details about his role or the team’s plans.
Toronto defensemen Nick Blankenburg and Marshall Rifai joined an injury list that also includes Chris Tanev and John Tavares, all listed week to week; Tavares will miss the team’s upcoming four-game road trip. Edmonton defenseman Mattias Ekholm is expected to miss one to two weeks, while San Jose forward Igor Chernyshov will be out for an unspecified period, according to their coaches.
The Montreal Canadiens announced that captain Nick Suzuki will miss two to four weeks with an upper-body injury, without giving further details. The absence ends his 546-game regular-season ironman streak; Suzuki has 12 points in seven games this season.
The NHL Department of Player Safety fined Ottawa Senators forward Nick Cousins $4,091.49, the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement, for unsportsmanlike conduct toward an opponent from the bench on Oct. 21. Cousins also received a minor roughing penalty and a 10-minute misconduct; the fine goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Detroit is asking teams about young centres and top prospects in trade discussions, though it’s unclear whether the talks concern Dylan Larkin, Simon Edvinsson or both. Larkin has requested a trade, while Edvinsson remains unsigned; interim GM Shawn Horcoff has said he wants to keep the defenceman.
The Winnipeg Jets traded goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils for forwards Nick Bjugstad, Dawson Mercer and Alexander Command, goalie Nico Daws, and draft picks: a 2029 second-rounder and a 2027 seventh-rounder. The deal came as Hellebuyck’s suspension for failing to report to training camp was set to end.
